Photography Technical - White Out and Gels

As part of this weeks technical photography class we worked on creating a white out for an image also experimenting with gels. White out is a technique that I had never used before and I found the technique rather complex but very beneficial in particular for creating a clean headshot image. "White Outs" involve using additional lighting to complexly remove any shadowing form behind the model therefore giving you a clean backdrop which makes transferring the foreground onto alternative settings easier in the editing process but also creates a simple clean headshot. To create this image two additional lighting set ups are required in addition to the basic lighting that will be put in front of the model.  These involved two basic light stands with a beauty dish set up placed on top, these lights were then placed behind the model at either side facing a focal point on the backdrop directly behind the model. Ensuring that all the lights are then placed onto cell mode when an image is taken the burst of light behind the model will remove any shadowing from the image. In regards to the results created when using the white out technique within a photo my personal opinion varies, the final look of this photo is to me very passport like and rather harsh on the models complexion. That being said for a beauty shot and with a full makeup look applied I imaging that it would work perfectly for drawing all attention to the beauty shot. This use of light set up is not something that is soley for the purpose of white out photography as it can also be used in corporation with gels (plastic coloured light overlays) to create interesting effects on the skin or backdrop of the image.

Gels in photography is something that I have had some experience with in my own personal work from the previous semester however this was with the help of a photography. During this class I was able to experiment more with the outcome of my images by adjusting where the gels were placed for each image. Just by changing the colours and positions of a gel you can achieve a complete different aesthetic. The first image is an example of using gels behind the model pointing both away from and at the camera, this technique creates a shaded background and lick of colour on the face. Unfortunately within these images the front beauty camera was slightly underexposed and therefore made my final images look dull, however the technique is still visible. The second and third light set up were significantly more successful and i also prefer the colour selection for these images despite the fact that it is pink. The overall tone is much brighter and the models face more visible and well lit.  In addition the two images supply examples of how having a bright facing light can also alter the final outcome of the gel effect as both these example used the same lighting set up however the second has been significantly bleached as a result of the large soft box light. Now that I have a better understanding of how to use gels in photography this is definitely something that I want to take forward into future shoots as through the addition of coloured lighting it completely changes the vibe of a shoot.

Image 1: Blue gel pointing backwards with a red gel slightly behind and to side of models face.

Image 2: Pink and peach gel placed behind the model in a "white out" lighting set up. 

Image 3: Foreground beauty lighting removed, model stood between white backdrop and orange and pink gels both pointing at canvas from either side.